Like Black Caviar, State Premiers are out front due to CHOGM

Jay Weatherill, only the 538th new Premier to announce there would be “no spin” in his administration (what does that even mean, anyway? That the government won’t try and present their actions in the best possible light? Or perhaps using the Beattie tactic of successfully becoming the opposition to his own government?) was still behind his old boss on the list as Mike Rann finally left the stage after nine and a half years as Premier. The imminent CHOGM had the rest of the Premiers well up the list, particularly host Colin Barnett.

Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott got plenty of coverage after polling of their electorates showed them struggling, while a better set of polls for both the Government and Julia Gillard (off a dire base) had most of the Gallery ignoring that as a dead cat bounce and focusing on the increase in opposition to the carbon tax, while a few noticed Tony Abbott’s personal rating slipping below -20. Might be a moment for psephologists to remember?

Other movers included Malcolm Turnbull as Telstra shareholders signed off on the NBN deal, and Anthony Albanese, who was the chief public executioner of former Ombudsman Allan Asher.

An easy win in interactive media overall this week for Julia Gillard, much of it on the crucial issue of the curtsy, but Tony Abbott still squeaked a win online, with plenty of comments about blood promises, many of them in predictably poor taste.

She’s got most of the media coverage with her continued domination this Spring Carnival, even though she won’t be appearing in any of the headline races. Which brings us to the question — why is the only super high profile sprint race in Australia for two year olds?